- What is *your* dream endgame for The Vampire Diaries? Not based on what you think will happen, on producer/actor/fan commentary, and perhaps or perhaps not based on what is happening right now (or the last few seasons) but what you would like to see happen as the series winds down. Which couples do you want to see together? Where do you want to see the characters? Who do you want to survive to the end? As a human? As a vampire? Who do you want to die (if anyone)?

- What do you think *will be* the endgame for the series? Based on what has happened in canon on the show, what hints/clues the producers/actors have given out? Which couple(s), character(s) will be standing as a human or vampire at the end?

PLEASE -- NO SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING EPISODES! :)

ETA: My answers ...

My dream endgame has Damon/Elena, Stefan/Caroline, Elijah/Katherine together, with Klaus dead. I've also been hunkering with the idea of Alaric/Rebekah, but I haven't really seen the characters/actors interact so I don't know if they have chemistry or if they would even work together. I'd like to see Bonnie, Caroline, Elena, Stefan, Rebekah go to college with Elena dropping out after a year, realizing a normal life really is just not her, and eventually choosing to become a vampire to be with Damon forever.

Stefan and Elena develop the friendship that we thought that Stefan and Lexi had (you know, platonic soulmates WITHOUT the torture). If Alaric/Rebekah works out (haha!), he can become a vampire too, and he and Damon remain BFFs. Klaus and Tyler die. Jeremy survives as a human, and marries a sweet, human girl who keeps the damn boy grounded ... and away from internet seaches! Matt also survives, eventually becoming a deputy, then sheriff! Bonnie excels in college and settles down with a nice, normal guy who gets that she's a witch, and is happy to stand by her side and support her.

Finally, the brothers have found their middle ground -- Stefan not pretending to be the "good" one, and Damon not playing at the "bad" one -- but both having found a happy balance. And also ready, happy and willing to acknowledge their love for one another, including hugs and no excuses, damnit!

As to what I think what will be endgame? I do genuinely think that Damon/Elena will be endgame, Stefan may or may not be with Caroline (or Katherine or Rebekah), or he may decide to go wander the world finding himself. Or he may wind up sacrificing himself for good for Damon, I could see that and see him be at peace with it in a way. Whichever happens, he and Damon will be at peace with one another, having found their middle ground and love. That I'm as sure of as I am of Damon/Elena endgame, if not more.

If Tyler lasts this season and they are still playing with the Tyler/Caroline romance angle, then I think they'll be endgame (not particularly happy about that prospect). The originals will either be dead, out of commission or have left Mystic Falls. I also think that the show has managed to keep a tight handle on the main aspects of the mythology and that they have a planned ending that will, in the end, reunite the survivors as this tribal family (likely vampiric) that travel together.

Heh, I wasn't even thinking of the books. I think, based on what I know about the books, though, that they aren't following them really at all at this point, LOL!

I want to see Damon/Stefan coming to terms with their love for one another, definitely. And I absolutely agree with this:

I want to see them and their brotherhood survive and grow. I feel like they are the core of the show, and I don't want to see them split because of a woman.

However, if I don't get Damon/Elena as endgame, it will ruin the show for me (and it's not just D/E related, it also relates to Damon/Stefan in a way too). The writing of Damon, Stefan, Elena, and Stefan/Elena and Damon/Elena is too 'Damon/Elena must be endgame' for it to all make sense in my mind. If they don't end up together, it will make so much of what has happened (in the first two and a half seasons at least) not make sense, and so much of what I considered great in this show (since those are the three main characters, the two main ships) wouldn't work in retrospect.

I think Klaus needs to die at this point. I don't hate Klaus at all, actually, but I think he's done too much,

Prior to episode 3.11, I would have said, eh, I don't care, HE NEEDS TO DIE! Now, I still think he needs to die, but I'm willing to allow it might not be until next season before it happens. But, yes, he DOES need to die and REALLY die by the end of the series, probably sooner if the show goes beyond four seasons -- which I think it will.

I sort of want Katherine or Elijah to be the one to kill him.

I never thought of who I wanted to kill him, but yeah. Actually, I want it to be Katherine. The show has ingrained family love WAY too much that I wouldn't want to see Elijah carry that pain around for all eternity, so Katherine -- who has been hunted by Klaus since even before she turned, whose entire family/village was destroyed by Klaus -- should get that honor. I do not want to see Stefan get it because of all that Klaus has taken from Stefan. Number one, that's bs: Stefan would have lost a few months, screwing things up with Elena, Damon, the town, that's ALL ON STEFAN. His choices, his decisions, etc. Number two, Klaus truly DID take everything of Katherine's, including her innocence and her humanity.

Speaking of Katherine and Elijah, I love them, but I don't know that the show would ever give Katherine a real relationship arc.

I know, but I will dream it so until the end. Right now, I'm on pins and needles hoping that we'll get some idea if Katherine/Elijah even have a chance since he's FINALLY undaggered.

Also, why do I always get nervous when she talks about never letting love get in the way, that she'll wind up dying for love in the end? :(

That very well may be the case. If she does, though, I think it will actually wind up being for Damon because of how the arc with Katherine and the two brothers has played out. Of course, things could change, re: Katherine/Stefan or my beloved Katherine/Elijah. :)

I'm pretty incapable of ever staying ship-free, but going full-tilt shipping (as I am for Damon/Elena) doesn't happen all that often. What has never happened before, though, is me really, really shipping not one (Damon/Elena), not two (D/E, Stefan/Caroline), but THREE couples (D/E, S/C, Katherine/Elijah) on one show. (Not to mention having secondary ships for Stefan and Caroline (Rebekah for Stefan, Klaus for Caroline). It's just so unlike me.

Also, me being hooked so hard after one episode? That doesn't happen very often either, but man, oh man, "Klaus" just BLEW MY SHIPPER BRAIN AWAY!

Ooh, fascinating...Stefan sacrificing himself...he does have "tragic hero" kind of written all over him. I never considered that before!

I either want D/E together forever or for Damon to be with Elena until she dies (as a human), and then he kills himself (what? I'm a romantic ;p )

Alaric/Rebekah kind of freaks me out, because...isn't she a high school student? I mean, I know she's 1000+ years old, but Alaric as a teacher and just...IDK! D/E get around that, because Damon is by no means an authority figure.

Stefan sacrificing himself...he does have "tragic hero" kind of written all over him. I never considered that before!

I have to admit, it honestly just popped into my head as I was writing this.

I either want D/E together forever or for Damon to be with Elena until she dies (as a human), and then he kills himself (what? I'm a romantic ;p )

There's suddenly talk going around about one of the Salvatores becoming human (I think Damon does at some point for a period in the books), but I dunno. If that happens, I want it for Damon if only for his "I miss it so much" in "The Descent."

Alaric/Rebekah kind of freaks me out, because...isn't she a high school student? I mean, I know she's 1000+ years old, but Alaric as a teacher and just...IDK!

Oh please :D I really would love that, what you wrote, that this would happen. In all ways. ;) Anyway I so agree! I think too, that E&D will be endgame and of course I hope and cross my fingers, that C&S will be endgame, too. :) Also I hope, that Kat will be happy, too and will find her peace with the world and herself. (To make it clear: I will NOT that she will be killed in the end of course.) :)

Totally agree with you on the endgames. I secretly ship Elijah/Katherine too and all it took was one episode, ie 'Klaus' *sigh* (fell in love with Elijah there and finally understood what the fuss was all about!).

I can picture Jeremy, Bonnie and Alaric ending up having a normal regular life in the end (if they survive).

The thing is... I really really want Damon/Elena together in the end ; Stefan/Caroline and Elijah/Katherine, I could do without because I have secondary ships with them (Stefan/Katherine, Stefan/Rebekah ; Caroline/anybody lol) but Damon/Elena I just need them to be together in the end. Please, no Damon choosing Stefan over Elena (no matter how much I love Damon/Stefan) or Elena choosing a regular guy (no matter how much she wants it I don't think Elena will ever be normal again and I don't think she ever was, after all she's the doppelganger, meaning her life's always been special even without the Salvatore brothers).

As for what will happen, I want to believe Delena will be endgame, the logical way would be Delena being endgame BUT... logical doesn't always win out in the end and I'm afraid the writers could always go the easy route and end the show with Stelena or Elena being with neither. I'm still scarred by Harry/Hermione being completely snubbed by Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny in the HP series. *shudders*

I secretly ship Elijah/Katherine too and all it took was one episode, ie 'Klaus' *sigh*

That was just so beautifully done, and they completely swept me away. Gah! (Of course, you know I always loved Elijah, though!)

I really really want Damon/Elena together in the end ; Stefan/Caroline and Elijah/Katherine, I could do without because I have secondary ships with them (Stefan/Katherine, Stefan/Rebekah ; Caroline/anybody lol) but Damon/Elena I just need</i> them to be together in the end. </i>

This is it for me. This is the direction I've seen the story taking since episode 7 of season 01. If it doesn't go there, so much that I loved about the show will lose its power because Damon, Elena and Stefan are the main three, and my belief is wrapped up in how they are writing them.

I'm not worried about the writers being stuck to some imagined end like JKR because unlike them, we're already seeing how they are playing with the threads woven in their story. I'm hopeful. :)

I have no idea and as I am not a shipper, so I have few preferences in that regard, although I would like to see Elena with Damon (or Katherine, but she would have to change a lot and I don't think that will or should happen. Plus I think she will die). I can totally see why you think Damon/Elena is endgame, the narrative structure of the story is screaming it (in the same way Spike's story in BtVS dictated way back in Season 6 that certain things had to happen), but I'm not so certain TVD would so obvious as to go there.

I do think Damon might become human, but I hope not.

Stefan, I don't mind; Caroline is fine, but I don't see it happening tbh.

I certainly don't think things will end with everyone paired forever and anon. I think they'll be a big dollop of tragedy to come with it.

I can totally see why you think Damon/Elena is endgame, the narrative structure of the story is screaming it, but I'm not so certain TVD would so obvious as to go there.

Funny you say this because the obvious thing seems to be from most perspectives I've read is that they'll go with Stefan and Elena since they were the introduced "epic" couple from the get-go.

I certainly don't think things will end with everyone paired forever and anon. I think they'll be a big dollop of tragedy to come with it.

Oh, I agree. And honestly, as long as I get the brothers in a good place with each other, and Damon/Elena together, I can accept anything else, even the loss of couples (potential or otherwise) and characters I adore. :)

I have a tendency to look at stories at a much more meta level I think, which is why I have trouble discussing the minutiae of individual episodes.

Certain things in BtVS were blindingly obvious to me and they *did* happen, so maybe I think along the right lines, but I am easily swayed! Though if D/E isn't endgame, then I can't see how the story that has been set out like it has been can be satisfying, unless it is utimately meant to be tragic.

As I see it they have four choices: S/E, D/E, neither or both. D/E I can see a lot of groundwork for, but I can also see Elena walking away (mainly because that makes a clear-cut distinction from Twilight). Both boys would be a brave choice, but a) would the network allow it? b) would it even be a good idea to tell that story to teenagers? and c) I can't see either of the boys accepting things that way now (though this could change, I suppose). S/E just seems like Elena would grow out of him very quickly and seems the least likely choice to me, unless she becames a vampire very soon (I can't see her becoming a vampire really), my only reason for thinking S/E could happen is though interference by the franchise owners, otherwise I see it as illogical story to tell because the story isn't travelling forward to a place they haven't been already - they have already had some kind of happiness (in their relationship that is) - we very clearly aren't being told a story about two people falling in love, it's about an established relationship and to me that is not really a story that fits what the show is trying to do.

I'm very tired, it's late and I'm thinking this through on the fly, so I'm not sure this made any sense!

I have a tendency to look at stories at a much more meta level I think, which is why I have trouble discussing the minutiae of individual episodes.

I do that per episode and the overall arc/stories. And my track record in figuring out where they are going has been (in all but one case) spot-on, and with TVD, I've really been hitting it with great accuracy. I get beats wrong, and how they play out, but the overall idea, I've gotten. And I think that with the show so successful for the CW, the producers are going to get to do what they want, and as you said, everything has been laid out, has been building TO Damon/Elena endgame. I can't see the franchise having much say since they've already gone so far from the path of the books. It's about the show, and what path that the producers want to follow, and has you've said, it all logically points to Damon/Elena.

thought I'd comment.Seeing as I haven't read the books, everything I say is based on the show.

I'd love to see Damon/Elena in the end, seeing as the majority of season 3 has been based around them besides a couple of episodes including the one where Stefan tried to drive Elena off the bridge her parents died on, which was to do with their relationship.If the writers decided to take the show in a completely different direction and keep her with Stefan, they'd obviously be quite an uproar with the fans as, from what I know, people seem to ship Elena with Damon a lot more? I don't know? The build up of Elena/Damon would be a bit pointless if she just went back to Stefan. Plus I don't think she'd be that silly because she knows Stefan is more dangerous than Damon in a sense, and it would shatter Damon to see her abandon him.

I'd love to see Damon and Stefan finally become "at peace" and get over their little squabbles and whatnot. I just want Damon to get over the fact it was Stefan who led Damon to become a vampire because Damon obviously enjoys being a vampire from what I've seen.

Klaus will eventually die, most likely at the end of this season because as we've seen with the latest episode, Rebekah has said there's something to do with that tree and some calendar. I think Rebekah will die too, hope she does because I don't particularly like her. I honestly think all the Originals will die besides Elijah and I hope Elijah doesn't die, I want him to end up with Katherine or maybe a vampire he created who he took a liking to perhaps? He obviously took a liking to Katherine when Klaus wanted to sacrifice her, and you never hear about how they continued the vampire race, so something will come up there most likely.

Honestly, I think Stefan will die protecting Elena or his brother or Jeremy (for Elena). He's always been the kind of guy who will risk anything for Elena. Obviously after Klaus dies (which I think he will) there'll be something else threatening Elena and Stefan will probably die protecting her, leaving her and Damon to live happily.

Jeremy, Bonnie and Alaric will most likely stay human. I have a feeling Tyler come back to Caroline while Klaus is still around and figure out that her and Klaus have something going on (I like Klaroline okay, sue me) and leave again, and we won't see him ever again. Then Klaus will die, Caroline will go in search of Tyler. And Damon will turn Elena once she's ready to commit to him eternally. :)